About:
Perhaps more than any other city in the nation, Buffalo, New York, has been shaped by its parks.
Designed in 1868, world-renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s design theory was that no one would have to leave green space, as the connectivity of the park system was inclusive of all areas in the city making Buffalo “a city within a park.”
Founded in 1978 to support the park system, the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy’s mission is to steward Buffalo’s historic Olmsted park and parkway system to benefit and welcome all. The Conservancy works towards this through collaboration with community and strategic partners, advocating for quality parks for all, and enhancing the park system through beautification, maintenance, and capital projects.
Today, BOPC cares for 47% (or 850+ acres) of the city's parks network.
The Opportunity:
Building on the Conservancy’s many accomplishments to date, BOPC’s “City Within a Park” Initiative is a potentially game-changing public-private partnership with the City of Buffalo and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. This partnership focuses on the big picture, substantially increasing the amount spent on operating and maintaining all park space in Buffalo, ensuring all parks regardless of neighborhood, are maintained at the same level as the beloved historic Olmsted Parks. This partnership is a national model that highlights collaboration, partnership, and a funding model where all parties can come together to solve a fundamental challenge in the community, presenting an extraordinary opportunity as BOPC looks to its next chapter.